The Delaware
Valley is a great place to live, work, visit and play. We also realize
that life isnt all just fun and games, so weve tried to include
as much useful information as we could find about schools, neighborhoods,
statistics and the like. If you dont see your favorite site listed,
send us an e-mail and well
do what we can to get it added to our lists.

For information
on school choice and charter schools in Delaware, please visit www.focuskids.org.

Government

Delaware
became a state in 1776, just two months after the signing of the Declaration
of Independence. The capital was moved from New Castle to Dover in 1777.
Delawares present constitution was adopted in 1797 and is the third
one the state has had. It has been modernized with many new amendments
since then. Today, Delaware has a cabinet form of government

The General
Assembly, Delawares lawmaking body, is comprised of a House of Representatives,
whose 41 members are elected for two-year terms, and a Senate whose 21
members are elected for four-year terms. Half of the Senate seats are
contested in each general election.

The State
Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices.
All members are appointed by the governor, with confirmation by the Senate,
for a term of 12 years.

Delaware
has two U.S. Senators elected for six-year terms. Current Senators are
William V. (Bill) Roth and Joseph R. (Joe) Biden, Jr. The state has one
U.S. Representative who serves a two-year term. Our current representative
is Michael N. (Mike) Castle.

Governor
Tom Carper became Delawares 71st Chief Executive on January
19, 1993, after serving five terms as Delawares Congressman in the
U.S. House of Representatives and six years as state Treasurer.

Delaware
residents must apply in person at one of the offices of the Division
of Motor Vehicles in Wilmington, New Castle, Dover, or Georgetown. Applications
are available at each office. Residents who have never had a drivers
license must pass a drivers examination, pay a $12.50 fee for
a five-year license and complete the application truthfully.

New residents
must obtain a drivers license within 60 days after establishing
residency. For general information on obtaining a drivers license,
call (302) 739-2500.

New residents
of Delaware must obtain a new vehicle registration within 60 days of
establishing residency. Inspection is necessary prior to registration
and a vehicles original title is required to begin the registration
process. A registration certificate and proof of liability insurance
must be presented. For individuals who finance a car, the Motor Vehicle
Division will provide the appropriate form for ordering the title. Registration
can be completed for a $20 fee and two-year registrations are available.
It is important to note the state of Delaware imposes a 2.75% tax on
the fair market value of out-of-state vehicles. Credit is not granted
for taxes paid in other states.

Hunting
and Fishing Licenses

Licenses
are required in the State of Delaware for fishing in non-tidal waters
as well as for hunting and trapping. Fees vary depending upon the type
of hunting desired, duration of license, age and residency status.

Residents
born after January 1, 1967 who wish to obtain a license must complete
a ten-hour safety course before receiving a hunting license. Fishing
licenses are available at the same offices and outlets as the hunting
permit; the cost varies with the license duration and residency status.
For more specific information and guidelines on hunting and fishing
in Delaware, contact the State Fish and Wildlife Department at (302)
739-3440.

Voting
Registration

New Castle
County Board of Directors:
(302) 577-3464

You may
register to vote at the courthouse of the county in which you reside.
Bring proof of age (drivers license or birth certificate) and
proof of residency (rental agreement or home sales agreement).

Delaware
is a small state, divided almost evenly into three countiesNew Castle,
Kent and Sussex. Nearly 80% of residents live in New Castle, the states
northernmost county. You can find out more about specific areas by visiting
the following sites:

Area
OverviewA quick
tour of the area. Neighborhoods are defined by ZIP code. In reality, there
are many different neigborhoods, of varied home-style and price within
each ZIP code. The page does provides a good, general overview.

www.realtor.com/FindNeig/default.aspGeneral
information about most neighborhoods. The "Find a Neighborhood"
is cumbersome and a bit slow. We found it useful to get some information
about the neighborhoods we knew. It helps if you know the zip code or
can pinpoint the area on a map. If youre not familiar with an area,
it may be more confusing than helpful.

Know
the Neighborhood

Using "Know
the Neighborhood" software, we can tell you things you never
knew about your own neighborhoodor about any place in the country
youre thinking about making your next home. We can show you recent
home sales information, objective school system ratings, climate and crime
statistics, community demographics and much more. We can also provide
side-by-side comparisons with your present community.

If youre
planning a move and youd like more detailed information, please
send an e-mail
to request a personalized Know the Neighborhood analysis.

"We
hath found the climate of said country very temperate." Captain
Cornelius Hendricksen from a report of his visit. Hendricksen is regarded
by many to be the first "civilized man" to set foot in what
is now Delaware.

Enter a City or US Zip:

Delawares
climate is moderate year round. Average monthly temperatures range from
75.8 to 32 degrees. Average temperature for summer months is 74.3 degrees.
About 57% of the days are sunny. Annual precipitation is approximately
45 inches. Temperatures along the Atlantic Coast are about 10 degrees
warmer in the winter and 10 degrees cooler in the summer.